Christmas Decorating - Kid Style

Not much time for blogging but had to put this in. The boys were very enthusiastic about helping with the tree this year.  I am definitely taking advantage of that while it lasts.  Jackson would have been happy leaving with just the lights but the older two were all about getting it decorated. Trent was very methodical and careful while Brayden wanted to see how many could hang from one branch. The result...

The 3 in anticipation! 

 

Brayden so proud of how many he squeezed in there!

When they got done and went off to other things, I had to tweak it just a little...

The Final Result.

Other decorations.

So I guess it's safe to say bring on the Holly!!!

On With the Show!

It has been a busy week here in the Phillips' household.  With Christmas coming we have been bombarded with church and school programs.  This is the first year Trent has been old enough to take part in the choir.  Last week they had their Christmas concert. I was flooded with memories as he stood so straight and tall and sang the Christmas carols, ending with the Hallelujah chorus.  Isn't he the cutest thing in his tux?

Tonight was Trent's first piano recital.  He has only been taking since September but has been doing great.  I am finally understanding what my mom went through trying to get all  4 of us to practice.  Such fun!  But tonight we saw it all come together. I was so proud of him as he overcame his nerves to play "Jingle Bells" with his teacher Mrs. Cokely.

He did great and was thrilled when it was over. 

And this is not the end.  Stay tuned for the next entertainment installment of the Phillips' family!

Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Well, the day has come that I have been waiting for. No, it was not the wonderful Thanksgiving feast we shared with my sister and her family. No, it was not the craziness we shared getting up early on Friday to get an early start (and I do mean early!) on our Christmas shopping. No, I am talking about the fact that today was the day that the Alabama Crimson Tide played their arch rivals the Auburn Tigers. And I am telling you that they came to play. Can you say SHUT-OUT? We came, we played, we shut them up!! No more talk of fingers and wins to add on. Since the last time we won was before my 5 year old was born I was definitely ready for this and it was worth it!

Alabama 36 Auburn 0
ROLL TIDE!!!!

A Bird, A Plane, No It's...

Just the Phillips' family on the next day of Homecoming week--Hero Day!!  I must say that while Decade Day was very exciting for Tom and I, the kids had been waiting for this day.  We discussed different heroes, fictional vs. real, cartoon vs. human.  The boys decided that they wanted to go full out Super Hero so we went and chose the perfect costumes.  The choices...

Of course, Trent had to have Batman and Brayden had to have the white Power Ranger which turns out to be a hero (we don't watch them so I wasn't sure). 

Hero Day turned out to be a little more challenging for me.  I did not want to spend money on a costume and was all spent out on fresh ideas.  So the answer...

It turns out I had an old cheerleading shirt when the theme of our camp was Heroes.  So you want Hero Day?  I gave them just what they asked for.  I did have a good time teaching Spiderman and quite a few Batmans spelling and history today.

It really has been a fun week, but I must admit I will be glad just to have plain, ol' kids in my classroom again.  And I will be thrilled to go back to picking out my khakis and solid colored shirts!

Everybody Cut Footloose!

Today might have been the most anticipated day of the week so far...at least for the grown ups in the household!  Today was Decade Day and the chosen decade for our family was the eighties.  Trent and Brayden went total punk rocker on us, complete with tattoo sleeves (thanks to my sister Tammy for the idea and the dollar store for the supplies!) and colored mohawks.  I was doubtful about whether the boys' hair would stay in the mohawk all day, but thanks to a wonderful product found at Wal-mart named Super Spikes, we were able to stay mohawk-ish all the way through until church (which thankfully was Wacky Wednesday so we killed two birds with one stone!).

 

Tom and I were very excited about eighties day and we spent much time putting together our outfits.  Believe it or not I actually found the leg warmers and tights at Target.  Apparently they are back in style - woohoo!  Tom brought back the great two shirt look.  We had lots of fun,  but we are definitely appreciative that we have moved on to a more stable wardrobe!!

Well, a trip back in time is always fun but it's back to good ol' 2008 for now!

A Pirate Says "Argh!"

Day number two of NFC Homecoming Week brought us to...Pirate Day!  I must admit that this day threw me for a loop at first, but after a trip to the local Goodwill I was forced to get a little creative.  I arrived to find that Goodwill was extremely busy and was thrilled to find out the reason why.  Mondays is half of all clothing!!  My lucky day!!  I found two pair of black pants and after giving up a search for a child's vest or brightly colored shirt I found two small women's sleeveless shirts.  I took the items home, washed them (I hope that was assumed by all), and cut them into two little boy pirate outfits.  I think I did pretty well for my first time costume making.  The final product...two of the cutest little "land lubbers" you ever did see.  Check it out!

Don't be fooled by the look on Brayden's face, he is loving every minute of this week!!  Can't wait until tomorrow!! 

Homecoming Week at NFC

Today marked the beginning of one of our favorite weeks in education - Homecoming!!  It is a week that the students look forward to and the teachers look forward to it ending!  Well, the Phillips' family went all out this year preparing and we feel that we are ready to meet this week head on.  The first day was established as Nerd Day.  Being one of the cool kids my entire life this day presented a great challenge for me, but I went forward with great gusto!!  We searched high and low for just the right look and found that most of it was available in our own closets.  The final result.....

The Super Cool Phillips' Nerds!!

We even convinced Dad and Jackson to get in on the act!

   

We definitely made Nerd Day a success.  Just stay tuned for our next exciting adventure as NFC Homecoming 2008 continues!

Wordless Wednesday

You Ought to Be in Pictures

OK, I saw this on my sister Tammy's blog and thought I had to jump on in and do it. Too much fun!

How old are you?


What is your middle name?
(focus on the person, not the puppet!)

Where is your dream vacation?
(anywhere on a ride like that!)

Where were you born?


What is your favorite color?


What is your favorite drink?


What is your favorite cartoon?
(shout out to my brother on this one!)

Well, this was alot of fun! I'll have to join in the blogging fun more oftenn!!

With a Capital "P"

Last week we had Grandparents' Day at our school.  Brayden was chosen to hold the prime slot in the welcome assembly.  He had to stand in the middle of the platform waiting for the assembly to begin.  It seemed as if he stood there for 10 minutes or longer but with a huge smile on his face.  When his moment finally came he did a great job holding up the "Capital P" on the song "I am a Promise". He is such a little show man and we were so proud of him.  "He is a great, big, bundle of...potentiality!"

Mommy Moment

I thoroughly enjoy Mommy moments like, playing on the trampoline, baking cookies, etc... However, this Friday we had a Mommy moment I would like to forget. Since we were out of school I got a grand idea to take the boys to the park and have a picnic. Tom met us and we got busy swinging and sliding and having a great time. After we ate the boys wanted to walk down to the pond. As I was taking this picture... Jackson took off for the water. I pulled him back with the hand I was holding. As he picked up his feet to drop to the ground, I felt a pop. I told Tom and we watched him and realized that he wasn't moving his arm. He tried to suck his thumb but let his arm fall to his side. When my hard core thumb sucker doesn't suck his thumb I knew something is up. We went straight to the doctor where we were diagnosed with "nursemaid's elbow" (a dislocated elbow). Needless to say I was horrified and in tears. The doctor said it happens all the time. She gently put it back in its place and we were done. It took about 5 minutes for him to try the thumb again but by the time we got home we were back to normal. He had to wear a sling for the next few days...not that it stopped him from anything but we wore it like we were supposed to. He is a trooper though by that night he was back to football, sling and all!

From Babies to Boys

As the mother of three boys I know what the difference one haircut can make. With Trent and Brayden they both had their haircut at 9 and 10 months old.  Since Jackson's hair hasn't been nearly as long I have gone as long as I could without cutting it.  I did trim the bangs a little once to get it out of his eyes but as far as cutting it...I wanted to wait as long as possible.  Well, we finally decided it had gone from cute to unruly and I sat him down in his high chair for the big moment.  I was expecting the same thing I had experienced with the other two.  Screams, kicks, and fits.  Jackson just sat and watched.  It is far from professional but it turned out OK.  I felt so sad to see how grown up he looked but it happens every time.  My last little guy is growing up!
Before...



After...

Family Heirlooms

When I was little my Yaya (Greek grandmother) gave me a small chair that had belonged to my dad when he was little. If I remember correctly this chair was from Greece and she wanted me to have it. It survived being used for many different things and has since been used by each of my boys.

Well, now it is in the room of Jackson Nicholas (named after said father) and he has taken to dragging it around the house for many different reasons. He occasionally sits in it but mainly I have found him using it to access a number of things too high for him to reach. The funny thing is I really believe that is exactly what my father probably used it for too!

Look out Coach Saban...

Here come the Phillips' brothers. The University of Alabama has been blessed in the past with many brothers that have all put on the Crimson and White. You may well remember the Goodes, the Castilles, and others. Well, we here at the Phillips' household are doing our part to continue the winning tradition of Alabama football. It may be a few years and we have a little bit to learn but as you can see, we are on our way!!

First Day of School

And once again it begins again. The school year is underway and another year is flying by. Trent is enjoying his year so far in third grade with Mrs. Roberts as his teacher.




We are working on multiplication tables already and I am having flashbacks of sitting in our living room in Birmingham with Mom telling me, "I see you counting on those fingers, you better stop that!". Well, Mom, I don't have to use those fingers anymore! Thanks!



Brayden is loving kindergarten in Mrs. Strickland's room (or as Brayden says, Mrs. Strick-a-lin). He is learning his blends and has already been star of the day.



Jackson is still at Mimi's but has been learning how to climb on furniture, mainly to get closer to the light switches. His little personality is shining through and he is a little ham. The idea that at least one of our kids would be a quiet one is long gone! Jackson loves to be outside and would stay out there all day if we would let him.

As far as my class goes, we are still adjusting to each other but they seem to be a great group of kids. I am looking forward to watching them bond and grow as the year goes by.


I think as a teacher I see how quickly time goes by so it makes me dread a new year a little. But it is so fun to see the boys growing and learning.

Every Four Years

It is now 11:09 pm and I have to be at work tomorrow. However, I find myself still up and glued to my television. This happens to me occasionally, to be specific, every four years. I am drawn to sports that normally wouldn't interest me if I were to happen across them any other day. But as I type Michael Phelps is stepping up on the blocks and I can't wait to see him go. I get so excited about every event and can't wait to cheer my country on. My classroom has an olympic theme this year and the entire room is red, white, and blue. I love it! Well, the race is over and once again Michael Phelps has blown everyone away!! I must now go to bed and awake tomorrow for another day waiting for Primetime Olympic coverage!! Go USA!!

It had to end!

Well, this summer has been quite busy for the Phillips' family. We've been to the beach...twice, visited family, and spent as much time as we could in the pool. As far as successfull goes, I did complete my list that I set out at the beginning of the summer so I am happy. The boys are thrilled because they have been allowed to stay up late (not that they sleep in late!) and haven't had to get their hair cut. But, alas, all good things must come to an end and this Friday we will begin our journey into kindergarten and third grade. It's hard to believe that we've come so far from our bottles and potty training days but the bookbags are packed and the lunches are ready to be packed. Trent is thrilled with the thought of seeing his friends every day again but Brayden (who has a different outlook on life) is upset that he will have to get a shower every day. Ahh, well, back to our 9 month routine again!! The summer is just a memory!

14 Years Ago Today

It was 14 years ago today that I began what is the second greatest journey of my life. Second only to my relationship with Christ is my relationship with my husband. Tom and I were married on July 9, 1994. Looking back at these pictures we laugh about how young we look and how we have grown over the years.



Who would have guessed the journey we have started and the one that is still waiting for us. We have had many opportunities to laugh and to cry but through it all the Lord has bonded us together and given us an awesome family.

Looking back at these kids, we had no idea what was ahead, only eyes for each other and the idea that we could conquer the world.


Who knew that our family would grow....




and grow.....



and grow.....



And that ladies and gentlemen is the final Phillips' family picture...three boys and no more!

Happy Anniversary, Tom! Thank you for loving me through all my faults and shortcomings and for making me a better and complete person. I can't wait to see what the next 14 years have in store for us! I love you!